Cooling device for drinking fountains



June 5,1926.

H. c. RIDLER COOLING DEVICE FOR DRINKING FOUNTAINS Filed :August 20,1925 structure shown, the lower end of this brass section a, by means ofa coupling sleeve 13,

- is connected to a tubular nipple 14, which,

in turn, is screwed into the immediately underlying T-coupling 12. Aperforated washer 15 shown in detail in Fig. 3 is placed in the couplingsleeve 13 and-clamped between the lower end of the brass tube 1()a andVthe upper end ofl the nipple 14. 'A- valve rod 16, which is of muchless diameterV than the interior-of the brass tube 10a, is rested at itslower end on the washeJr 15 and its upper end is extended through an'dabovethe uppermost T-coupling 12 and is terminated in a conical end-y orneedle valve 17. A'tube or pipe section 18 is screwed into thetop of theuppermost T-coupling 12 and loosely surrounds theupper end of thevalvefrod 16. Attached to the upper end of the vtube 18, preferably bythreaded engagement, is a valve casing 19, and by said threads is madevertically adjustable. Y The valve casing 19 immediately overlying theneedle valve 17 is shown as'provided with an axially located dependingbushing 2O that affords a valve seat for said needle valve. On the topof the valve casing 19 and communicating therewith is a secondary valvercasing 21, shown as provided with an inlet port 22 and with a dischargeport 23. 'The inlet port v22 is adapted to be opened and closed more orless by a needle valve 24 that has threaded engagement' with the upf perend of 4said secondary valve casing 21. To enclose' the Vvalve structurejust described, a large tube or pipe section25 is screwed into the topof the uppermost T coupling 9 and, as shown, is

provided with adetachable cap 26.v f

All of the pipes and tubes above described and the valve rod 16 may beof iron or steel vand,lience, have a lower coefficient of expansionthanthe brass expansiontube or pipe section 10a. By'adjustments ofthevalve casing 19 on the upper end of the tube 18, the tubular valve seat20 can be adjusted in any position in respect to the vneedle valve end17 of the valve rod. The adjust# ment should be such that the needlevalve 17 will close the valve seat 2O when the temperature of the waterin the tubes 10a and 18 is at the desired low temperature for drinking.'`lvhemhowever, vthe water in theser tubes is of a higher temperaturethan that just noted, the brass tubeV 10a will expand more rapidly thanthe valve rod 16 and will cause the needle valve 17 to open the valveseat 20 and permit the escape of water through the secondary valvecasing 21 and kits discharge port 23. This will cause the warm water toybe displaced and the relatively colder water to fill the tubes 10a and18, and this water at alo-wer temperaturewill cause the tube 10a tocontract more rapidly than does the valve rod 16,

thereby causing the needle valve 17 to close the valve seat 20 and stopthe discharge of water. By this automatic valve device, cold waterisfalways kept in the upper portion of the drinking water, supply tubeand, hence, lavailable for drinking at all of the fountains. 'Forguiding the needle valve 17 at the upper end of the valve rod 16, aperforated spacing washer 27 is placed at the upper end of the tube 18,through which the expansion rod freely moves.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5', the automatic valvemechanism and the cold water supply pipe are located outside of thewaste water pipesv 7 and 8. In this arrangement,y a cold water supplypipe 10b is connected to the fountain B; by a branch pipe 11b; theVbrass pipe section 10C- is connected between the pipe 10b and the valvecasing 19; and the discharge port 23 of the secondary valve casing 21 isconnected tothe upper end of the waste pipe 7 by a short pipe 23a.

By adjustments of the valve 24, the extent of the How or escape of waterfrom the escape. passage aorded by the vvalve `seat 20, casing 21 andport 23 may be regula-ted.

l l/Vhat I claim is: f

1. The combination with a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of adrinking water supply pipe extended from said refrigerator to saidfountain, said supply pipe having lan escape passage, and a thermallyactuated valve operative to open said escape passage when the drinkingwater in said supply pipe is above a predetermined temperature and' toclose said escape passage when the water is at a predetermined lowertemperature. l f

2. The combination with a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of adrinking water supply pipe extended from saidv refrigerator tosaidfountain, said supply pipe Vhaving an escape passage, a thermallyactuthe water is at a predetermined lower temperature, and meansindependent of said thermally actuated valve for regulating the extentof discharge whenl the said escape passage 1s open.

3. The combination lwith a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of adrinking water supply pipe connecting said refrigerator to saidfountain, a valve casing applied to the .upper portion of said supplypipe and having an escape -passage therein, anda valve rod seated insaid supply pipewith its upper end operating as a valve to openand closesaid escapev passage, under expansion and contraction of said supplypipe.

4. The combination with a refrigerator and a drinking fountain, of a.drinking Awa- Y sage is opened.

ter supply pipe connecting said refrigerator to said fountain, a valveycasing appliedto,V the upper portion of said supply'pipe and f 'havingan escape passage therein, andl a ing greater than that of said rod.

5. The structure defined in claim 3 which said escapepassage is providedwith an adjustable valve for regulatingthe rate of discharge of WaterWhen said escape pas- 6. The structure further combination with asecondary Valve casing applied to and receiving from thev first notedvalve casing and having a discharge port, and a needle valve applied tosaidsecondary Valve casing'for regulating the rate of' discharge ofWater therethrough.

7 The combination With a refrigerator and a plurality of drinkingfountains lo-l cated at diierentvelevations7 of a drinking water supplypipe comprising a Vstack con-v l defined in claim 4 in` nected t0 theseveral drinking fountains by branch supply pipes7 a Waste pipeyfreelyen-4 closing the stack of said Waterl supply pipe and havingbranch VWaste pipes enclosing the branch Water supply pipes andconnected to the respective fountains, a Valve casing apy Water supplypipe and having an escape v plied to the 'upper end of the stack of saidpassage, and a valve rod seated in the upper portion of the stack ofsaidwater supply 'pipe with its upper end arranged to act as a valve toopen and close the escape pas- Vsage of said Valve casing'the upperportion of said stack being of a metal that has a greater coeficient `ofexpansion than said Valve rod, whereby the said escape passage will beclosed when the drinking Water is at a predetermined 10Wv temperatureand will be opened When the drinking Wateris at higher temperature. t

` 8; The structuredefined in claim 7 in further combination With a Valvefor regulating the flow of the Water through said valve casing When saidescape passage is opened.

In testimony WhereflV afliX my signature.

HARRYC. RIDLER.

